(Press-Register, Mike Kittrell)Herman Thomas, left, and lawyer Robert "Cowboy Bob" Clark arrive at Mobile Government Plaza for jury selection Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2009, in downtown Mobile, Ala. Thomas, 48, a former Mobile County Circuit judge, has been accused of checking young men out of jail while he was a judge and paddling them for sexual gratification -- in exchange for granting the men leniency in his court. In his closing remarks Thursday, Clark said Thomas "ain't no pervert."MOBILE, Ala. -- Herman Thomas paddled and whipped nearly a dozen young men for "sexual jollies," using his authority as a judge to intimidate them -- an abuse of the power that he was granted by Mobile County residents, prosecutors argued Thursday during closing arguments.

"This is what stands between you and prison," said prosecutor Barry Matson, who took off his belt and held it up to jurors. "This is what stands between you and going back to jail. What choice did they have?"

Thomas attorney Robert "Cowboy Bob" Clark argued that Thomas worked hard as a mentor to young men in the area and jurors should protect the former judge from "the tyranny of aggressive prosecution."

"What do they have?" Clark said. "Eleven convicted felons that come in and say, 'Let me sell you something.'... Which one of these convicted felons do you want to rely on beyond a reasonable doubt? There's not a single one of them who is here for singing too loud in church."

Speaking of Thomas, Clark at one point exclaimed: "He ain't no pervert."

The seven-woman, five-man jury, which began deliberations at 3 p.m. Thursday, is expected to continue discussions today.

The 48-year-old Thomas, who stepped down from the Mobile County Circuit Court bench in 2007, faces more than 20 felony charges, including sex abuse, sodomy and assault.

Some of the alleged victims have testified that Thomas released them from jail, led them to his courthouse chambers, and told them to pull down their pants for a whipping or go back to jail.

The men said he removed his own belt for whippings or used a wooden fraternity paddle to strike them. One man testified that Thomas asked him to masturbate while the judge watched.

Prosecutors said that semen from two of the alleged victims was found inside a small office that only Thomas and two of his staff members could access.

"Abuse of power," Matson told the jury. "Abuse of power given to the defendant by the people of Mobile County to be their circuit judge. Abuse by manipulating, controlling young men on his docket for his own personal satisfaction."

Matson struck a belt against the judge's bench in the courtroom as he told jurors that Thomas was motivated by a sexual satisfaction from seeing the men's bare bottoms.

Related documents

The March indictment of former Mobile County Circuit Court judge Herman Thomas on kidnapping, sodomy, assault and ethics violations.